"This is all so much to process," Rose says. She's gripping Jack's hand back tightly, as if she lets go he could disappear again. After so many years spent dreaming of him, if it weren't for how real and warm he felt she would still believe this was one of those dreams.

"I know," he says, getting to his feet and coming around to her side of the table where she stands as well. "Its crazy."

"I mourned for you," she says, searching his eyes, "but I never felt as if you were fully gone, and now I know why."

Still holding onto her hand, Jack leads her out into the living room where they both take a more comfortable seat on the couch, facing each other. She watches Jack's expression sadden a bit as he looks around the room, his eyes landing on the portrait of his family that hangs above the fireplace: the very drawing that Rose had been studying the night before. His eyes then move to a different picture; there is a photograph of Josephine and Rose in a small frame on the mantle.

"Tell me about Josephine," he says quietly, and Rose is glad to see a small smile on his lips as he asks.

"Josephine," Rose says, gazing at the photograph, which had been taken recently over the holidays, " Josephine Cora Dawson, was born on January the twenty-ninth 1913 at 2:20 in the morning and has been the light of my life since the moment I saw her." She sees that Jack is truly smiling now, and her heart gives a tug. its still the same smile she had been dreaming of all these years, and the fact that hearing about his daughter had put it there was the best thing Rose could think of.

"She is smart, and kind, and adventurous and artistic, and all the things I wish I was, and even though we've haven't had much, she's never complained. She can be a bit stubborn at times, but I like to think that's all she inherited from me. She's so much like you, Jack."

"If she's smart and kind and adventurous and artistic, then she must be like you as well. You are all those things too. And you're strong. You're so strong, Rose. I can't imagine what it must have been like, going blindly into a new world, and then finding out you were pregnant. I wish I had been there with you. I should have been there with you."

His words bring tears to her eyes again, and she relishes in the feeling of his hand at her cheek, holding it there with her own. "I wish you had been. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy. It was terrifying, Jack. I will say though, that maybe all things considered, it was better that I hadn't known you were off at war. I would have gone mad with worry."

He nods, understanding that. So many of the men he had known in the war had women back home that they loved, and many of them had fallen, and he was glad that was something that Rose and his daughter hadn't had to experience.

"I found out I was pregnant in late June. I had such bad morning sickness and no idea what was wrong with me until I finally made up my mind to see a doctor. Finding out felt like both a blessing and a curse. I was so elated to know that I was carrying your child; that I would have a connection to you forever, but I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. It was finding out that made me decide on Chippewa Falls. I wanted to find out more about you if I could, and see if you maybe had anyone left. I felt like the people here had a right to know you were gone, and I think I was also searching for some sort of comfort. I wanted to speak with somebody— anybody who had known you. I hadn't considered when I arrived that they would assume we were married, but in my, well, delicate condition, I didn't think I was in a good place to explain without getting some harsh judgement passed. The only person I've befriended enough to tell the whole truth to has been Mrs. Richardson. The rest of the town thinks I'm your widow. It seemed safer that way. I hope you can forgive me."

"Rose. There's nothing to forgive. I like to think that if things had been different we would have married. I would have asked you, anyway."

This brings a smile to her own face. She had thought the same thing. In her mind she would have been married to Jack before she had even found out she was pregnant, and they would have traveled and figured out everything together as a team. She had always had his voice in her head, encouraging her along the way, and here he was speaking truth to what had once been idle imaginings.

"I liked to believe that," she says, lowering his hand to her lap. "Miranda and told me about the will and how the house had been left to you, and had insisted that I move in, and Miranda offered me the job at the diner. She was very patient with me, as I obviously had no idea what I was doing. She also helped me with the pregnancy and then with taking care of Jo and working at the same time when Jo was little."

"Mrs. Richardson and Ma were good friends," says Jack. "She was the closest thing I had to an aunt when I was growing up. She was the same age as my mother."

Rose nods. "She told me a lot of stories about you. You were quite the troublemaker, I've heard."

Jack grins. "Ahh, I meant well though."

"I know. The whole town knows. People would offer me condolences and tell me stories. They really loved you here, Jack. A lot of people were sad to hear you were gone." She frowns.

"Well, then a lot of people will get a pleasant surprise to hear I'm back."

"So you plan on staying, then?"

"Of course!" He says, his eyebrows raising expressively. "You didn't think I'd finally find you and then just take off again did you? Never in a million years. That is, if you'd like me to stay…" he asks, suddenly feeling unsure.

"Well, it is me who is staying in your house without the proper right to it. I should be asking you if I can stay."

He shakes his head. "Rose, you've been in this house for ten years. Thats nearly as long as I ever was; You've got just as much right to the place as I have, whether it says so on a piece of paper or not. No matter what happens, this is your home. You don't have to ask me for permission to stay."

"Well, do you plan to stay here?" She asks, almost nervous to hear his answer. "Do you want to stay here?"

"In Chippewa falls, yes, I plan to stay here," he says, leaning forward towards her as he places a cool hand under her chin. "In this house… that is entirely up to you." His eyes are serious, yet warm, drawing her in. "I know you have more than just yourself to think of, so don't feel as if you need to answer just yet. If you want me here, I'll be here, whenever you want. Whenever you're ready."

She had no idea, until the option was there, how much she appreciated the open offer. He was right, she had more than just herself to think of now. She had Josephine, and she had no idea how the reappearance of her father would affect the young girl, as she was still trying to figure out what her own reaction was.

"Thank you, Jack. I—" She wants to say more, but stops herself. Maybe, for right now, after such a shock and change of circumstances, it was better if they took things slow and really took the time to figure out where they stood. It would be the more responsible thing for them to do, in any case. "Thank you."

He smiles, seeming to intuitively understand that the discussion was ended for now. "You really are a sight for sore eyes," he says, letting go of her chin and settling back against the arm of the sofa. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Me either," She replies, never wanting to look away from him.

"You're still just as beautiful as the first time I saw you," he says, tucking a flyaway lock of hair behind her ear. She takes a breath to protest, but changes her mind, knowing that he wouldn't back down from his claim so there was no point.

They lapse into silence again for a while, and both notice that the room is growing darker as the day comes to an end. At some point Jack gets up to stoke the fire and add some wood before returning to the sofa where Rose's head finds his shoulder. When she falls asleep, right there where she had intended to nap hours earlier, but now safe in Jack's arms as she had longed to be for so long, its one of the most peaceful nights she has had in her whole life. There would be so much to worry about the next day, and every day after that, but for right now, she was content to just have Jack, alive and close.